Shiloh Baptist Church is an institution in Shaw willing to fight the city to keep houses out of the hands of developers and fresh from well-publicized attempts to fight new liquor licenses.
The 144-year-old predominantly black church counts thousands of congregants, a large number of whom come in to worship from the suburbs, Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner Alex Padro said.
Shiloh, which moved to the District of Columbia from Virginia during the Civil War, has spent years fighting attempts by new restaurants seeking liquor licenses, in part because it said adding more alcohol on Ninth Street in Northwest would degrade the area. That fight has pitted new residents, who want to see economic development, against Shaw’s historically black community.
Nigisti Gebreyesus, who opened the Queen of Sheba restaurant in 2006, has tried since summer 2005 to get a liquor license. Her attempts have been thwarted by church members, most of whom have never stepped foot into her establishment, she said.
Gebreyesus said another hearing on her license is scheduled before the AlcoholicBeverage Regulatory Administration Wednesday.
“We’re just hanging by a thread,” Gebreyesus said “They just want to fight. We’re trying to make peace.”
Vegetate restaurant owner Dominic Redd fought for more than a year to get a license to serve alcohol at his vegetarian restaurant. He finally received one in March, he said.
“I never wanted to be in a public battle against a church,” Redd said.
Shiloh officials did not return a phone call Thursday.
Padro called Shiloh’s arguments against the licenses a “double standard.” The church is located across the street from a liquor store, he said, adding that its deteriorated properties are little more than blight, providing free housing to vagrants. The restaurants have been a positive development in Shaw, which has finally begun to recover from the devastating effects of the 1968 riots.
“They’ve gone from being poor neighbors to worse neighbors,” Padro said. “They are causing blight in the neighborhood and preventing other businesses from moving into the area.”
Padro said the city’s condemnation of four Shiloh-owned buildings was a small victory for residents looking to improve Shaw.
“[Congregants] don’t spend a dime over here, but they come into our city and try to tell us what we can and can’t have in our neighborhood.” Padro said.
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